Michael Hargadon - Sligo Poets

Michael Hargadon (1888-1968)

Michael A. Hargadon was born in Calry near Sligo town. He was educated at the Marist School in Sligo town and at Skerries College, Dublin. He became a journalist and worked with the Kilkenny People and the Carlow Nationalist.

He had very few of his compositions published in the local newspapers but did become a well-known poet with collections published in Ireland and in Canada.

As well as being a writer of prose and poetry he also was a noted athlete, competing in sprints and high jump. His first poetry collection, A Wreath of Song, was published in 1913  by the Carlow Nationalist which may have been his employer at the time. This collection contained two long poems, Love and War and Old Times Restored. This volume is not mentioned by John McTernan in his article on Hargadon in Worthies of Sligo and the National Library of Ireland does not seem to have a copy.

The Sligo Times published a short favourable review of A Wreath of Song in its 28 June 1913 issue. (Left).

Hargadon's second collection of poetry, A Lovely Home, was published by Maunsel and Company. A five shilling edition was published, probably in 1914 and this was followed by a shilling edition in 1915. This book is available online here. The Sligo Champion published a long favourable review in its issue of 13 March 1915.

Below: Hargadon's poem, Sligo, from his collection A Lovely Home.

In 1915 Michael Hargadon emigrated to Canada where he continued to work as a journalist with the Montreal Daily Star. Later he became publicity officer with the Canadian Pacific Railways.

Towards the end of 1915 a campaign was launched in Canada to aid the families of soldiers who had gone to fight in World War 1. The newly arrived Hargadon wrote a poem asking for the help of the public for this cause which was published in Montreal papers and later all over Canada.

The poem was entitled To Those Left Behind (A Poem for the Patriotic Fund). A fund of a few million dollars was subscribed and Hargadon became very well known.

Hargadon continued to write poetry and published Irish and Canadian Poems in 1921 and Among the Mountains  in 1925. The latter was illustrated with paintings of Canadian mountain scenes.

He died in Montreal in 1968.

Left:A review of Irish and Canadian Poems from the Montreal Gazette 3 December 1921.